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UNrreD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

parini. n. PRATT, or New Yoan, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPOUND RAlLWAY-RAILS.

Hl'wcication forming part of Letters Patent No. 99,787. dated February'l, 1870.

The nature ot' my invention consists in the' construction of a railroad-rail "in t-wo parts, one part being furnished with a tread ot t-he shape of an ordinaryT-rail, the-other part being constructed so that the base of the rail is attached to it and the vertical web of the la-tter proj ecti ng upward fa 1' enoughto abut irml y against the head of the upper portion of the rail, while the support for the web of the rail, having upon itl the tread, is the base of its counterpart, said rails having formed upon the outer side ot' each of them continuous ribs or projections, two in number, between which ribs bolts are applied, and their heads prevented from turning by iitting between the ribs so formed.

In the dra-wings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the rails, spliee-pieces, and the modeof bolting them iogether; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the same where spliced; Fie'. 3, a portion of' the splice-piece, showing an elliptical hole for thereception ot` the bolt, and Fig. i a washer and mode of securing rubber or elastic, packing within it. I

In the drawings, A represents the rail, to which the head or tread is attached; B, the counterpart of the same or supporting-rail. rlhese two rails may be connected on their` i11- nersids by tongues or grooves, or the abutting-surfaces may be plain; but this connection forms no part of my present"invention.

The two outersdesof the rails A and B havel formed upon them continuous ribs or'` projections C C C C, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the two rails, when thus constructed, are bolted together, as shown at e e c, the heads of the bolts being made of the size indicated by the width between the two ribs C C. By this means the heads of the bolts are prevented from turning, and are less liable to become loosened by the passage of the trains over the rails, ncorresponding ribs being constructed upon the opposite rail. The washers and rubber packing are placed within the grooves formed by the projecting ribs, and the nut applied, holding the two rails firmly together.

The splice-piecesD Dare constructed in such a way as to Yill up the spaces between the bases of the-rail B and the under side of the head of the rail A, and have formed ou their inner side grooves conforming in shape I and size to the ribs formed on either rail. By

this mode of construction a rigid and firm connection is made by the two rails referred to, as also of the abutting rail, and preventing in a great degree the wear and destruction ot' the ends or joints of abutting rails. By-this construction, when it is deemed necessary to cut off the ends of the rails on account of their wear 'or injury to them in any way, these splice-pieces are always ready to be applied.

Vha-tl". claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A compound railroad-rail composed of the two parts, A and B, and each of said parts has formed upon its outer sides the ribs or projections C C, constructed, arranged, and bolted together in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

DANIEL. R. PRATT. lritnesses:

GODFREY MATHYs, B. F. J AMES. 

